Glueing attachment for collating machine



0612. 8, 1968 PORTER, JR" ET AL 3,404,880

GLUEING ATTACHMENT FOR COLLATING MACHINE Filed Sept. 2, 1966 ErSheets-Sheet l 1968 H. R. PORTER, JR ET AL 3,404,880

GLUEING ATTACHMENT FOR COLLATING MACHINE Filed Sept. 2, 1966 3sheets"sheet 2 IN V EN TORS fliiflMTKPMF/E, 72. BY PHI/f I fl/rr/M f 8 nOct. 8, 1968 H. R. PORTER, JR, ET AL 3,404,880

GLUEING ATTACHMENT FOR GOLLATING MACHINE Filed Sept. 2, 1966 3heets-Sheet 3 FIG 3 IN VEN TORS mrm ATTORA/E K5 United States Patent3,404,880 GLUEING ATTACHMENT FOR COLLATING MACHINE Herbert R. Porter,Jr., Rutherford, N.J., and Peter J. Pittala, Orangeburg, N.Y., assignorsto Osmond Johnson,

Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 2, 1966,Ser. No. 576,941 7 Claims. (Cl. 270-58) The present invention relatesgenerally to the collating of printed material, and more particularly toan improved collating machine.

There are currently available machines for collating printed sheetmaterial so as to place such material in a usable booklet form. As isgenerally the case, a typical collating machine is supplied with stacksof pages making up the booklet and is effective to 'work down thesesupply stacks, a single page at a time, during the production ofcollated arrangements of the pages. These collated arrangements arebuilt-up on a conveyor which transports the same to a discharge pointfor further handling. Invariably, this handling includes the applicationof staples or similar mechanical attaching devices through the pageswhich are effective to hold these sheets together and thereby preservetheir collated arrangements.

In most cases the resulting booklets are used in looseleaf binders withthe individual pages thereof subject to frequent revision and beingoften replaced by new pages. This requires that the user remove thestaples or similar mechanical attachment to make the substitution ofpages and this is a source of inconvenience.

Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a glueingattachment for a collating machine which is effective to maintain thecollated sheet arrangement by adhesive attachment of the sheets insubstitution for stapling or mechanical attachment thereof.Specifically, it is an object to provide a glue-depositing device whichis readily attached to a collating machine and which functions toprovide adhesive attachment of the sheets without interference with andwithout requiring any change in the operation and functioning of thecollating machine.

A glueing attachment demonstrating objects and advantages of the presentinvention is adapted to be operatively associated with a collatingmachine of the type including a conveyor, means defining plural stationsfor the stacks of sheets located adjacent the conveyor andsheet-transfer means at each station for transferring the individualsheets therefrom onto the conveyor. The sheettransfer means includesvacuum-operated picking fingers which are effective, in response to avacuum applied therethrough, to lift the sheet from the supply stackpreparatory to the transfer of the sheet onto the conveyor. The glueingattachment is advantageously located adjacent the picking fingers andincludes a supply source of an appropriate glue and glue-applying meansactivated by contact of the sheet lifted thereagainst by the vacuum toapply glue deposits to the sheet which maintains the sheet sequence inthe collated arrangement in place of staples and mechanical attachingdevices.

The above brief description, as well as further objects, features andadvantages of the present invention, will be more fully appreciated byreference to the following detailed description of a presentlypreferred, but nonetheless illustrative embodiment in accordance withthe present 3,404,880 Patented Oct. 8, 1968 invention, when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a collating machine having aglueing attachment thereon which is in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a partial elevational view illustrating the lifting of a papersheet and the application thereon of deposits of glue;

FIG. 3 is a plan view projected from FIG. 2 which best illustrates thetwo positions of movement of a sheet pick-up device of the collatingmachine; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the glueing attachment and ofthe glue depositing structure thereof.

Reference is made to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1,wherein there is partially shown a collating machine, generallydesignated 10, to which glueing attachments 12 demonstrating objects andfeatures of the present invention are advantageously operativelyassociated with to provide an improved attachment of the collatedarrangements of sheet material. For brevity sake only a description ofthat portion of the structure and functioning of the collating machine10 which are necessary to an understnading of the present invention isset forth herein. As is generally understood, a collating machine 10,such as is exemplified by the Macey model 106A (107A) produced by theHarris-Seybold Company of Cleveland, Ohio has a suitable constructionalong one side thereof defining a conveyor 14, including asmoothsurfaced conveyor bed 16 having a central elongated notch 18therein through which conveyor chain fingers 20 extend at predeterminedintervals. As is further generally understood, the opposite or hiddenends of the chain fingers 20 are attached to an appropriate endlessconveyor chain which, when operated, is effective to move the chainfingers 20 along the notch 18. In this way, any paper sheets 22, or moreparticularly any superposed collated arrangements 22a of the sheets 22which are built up on the conveyor bed 16 are moved by the chain fingers20 to a discharge point 14a at the end of the conveyor bed 16. In theillustrated embodiment of the machine 10 in FIG. 1 the discharge point14a is at the left-hand end of the conveyor 14.

As may best be appreciated by consideration of FIGS. 1 and 3, a typicalcollating machine 10 additionally includes structure arranged adjacentthe conveyor 14 which defines plural operating stations 24 along thelength of the conveyor 14 at which stacks S of sheets 22 are positionedpreparatory to being transferred, one at a time, onto the conveyor 14 toprovide a predetermined collated sheet arrangement 22a. In other words,there may be as many as nine operating stations 24a, 24b, 240, etc.arranged along the entire length of the conveyor 14 and individualsheets 22 are transferred, in turn, from these plural operating stationsto the conveyor 14 to make up the collated sheet arrangement 22a that isdesired. Thus, a sheet 22 from operating station 24a is placed on theconveyor 14 and is moved from this operating station in front of theoperating station 24b at which time a sheet 22 from this station istransferred on top of the previously deposited sheet 22 to provide acollated arrangement therebetween, which is exemplary of a superposedarrangement which is provided to whatever number of sheets thatcorrespond to the number 'of operating stations on the particular modelof collating machine.

To function in the manner generally indicated above, a typical collatingmachine further includes an elongated vacuum tube 26 which extends thelength of the conveyor 14 and is connected in an appropriate manner toan air vacuum pump or other such device which applies a vacuum pressurethroughout the vacuum tube 26. At its opposite ends, as exemplified bythe connection to the left-hand end of the vacuum tube 26 as shown inFIG. 1, the vacuum tube 26 is mounted on a support bracket 28 includinga bearing 30. Support bracket 28 is in turn appropriately operativelyconnected to a crank shaft or other such mechanical device which iseffective in actuating the support bracket 28 through movement from aposition, as illustrated in FIG. 1, above the operating stations 2411-0,etc., to a position above the conveyor 14 as illustrated in FIG. 3. Inaddition to this degree of movement, the vacuum tube 26 also hasappropriately connected to one end thereof, as at 26a, a bracket 32connected to a rod 34 which also is advantageously actuated throughmovement by rotation of a cam or crank shaft. Actuation of thismechanical linkage to the vacuum tube 26 is effective to rotate the tube26 in the bearing supports of the support arms 28 in a directionlowering any structure mounted on the vacuum tube 26 into a proximateposition with the sheets 22 at the various operating stations. Thisfacilitates sheet pick-up and is useful in facilitating the deposit orrelease of the pickedup sheet onto the conveyor 14.

As is perhaps best shown in FIG. 2, to which attention is now directedin conjunction with FIGS. 1, 3, there is appropriately located at eachof the operting stations 24a, 24b a spaced pair ofidenticallysconstructed vacuum-operated pick-up devices 36. Each pick-updevice 36 may be of the type which is conventional for collatingmachines 10 and includes a cylindrical body 36a which has a connectionat one end to a hose 36b connected, in turn, to a suitable fixture 360on the vacuum tube 26 such that vacuum applied through the tube 26 iseffectively applied through the fixture 36a. Slidably disposed in thefixture 36a is a valve body 36d terminating in a suction cup structure36c and which, in response to the applied vacuum pressure, is telescopedwithin the fixture 36a as illustrated in full ilne in FIG. 2. Inresponse to a cut-off of the vacuum pressure, the valve body 36d fallsby gravity into an extended position as illustrated in phantomperspective in FIG. 2.

Each pick-up device 36 is mounted on the vacuum tube 26 by a supportingarm 38 having a bearing mounting 40 to the tube 26 so that rotativeadjustments in the relative position of the arm 38 about the tube 26 arepossible. As is generally understood in the operation of a conventionalcollating machine 10, a stack of sheets S are appropriately supported ona support panel 42 and are biased under spring urgency in an upwarddirection against a transversely extending arm of an L-shaped bar 46which maintains the level of the stack of sheets S. Blower tubes 48 and50 have exit openings therein advantageously located adjacent thepredetermined level of the upper sheet of each stack S through which airstreams are directed against and are effective to cause sheet separationto facilitate the picking of the top sheet 22 from the stack S. Thus,the normal functioning of the collating machine 10 the vacuum tube 26when in position over the operating stations 24a, 24b is rotated in itsbearing support in a direction which lowers the pick-up devices 36 intoa proximate position above the stacks S and simultaneously therewith avacuum pressure is applied through the pick-up devices 36. This resultsin the top sheet 22 of the stack, in response to the applied vaccumpressure, being lifted from a topmost position on the stack and movingtherefrom through a lifting movement L into engagement with the suctioncups 36e of each of the pick-up devices 36. In other words during thenormal functioning of the collating machine 10, the pick-up devices 36actualy never contact the topmost sheet 22 of a stack, but rather thetopmost sheet 22 moves from the stack into engagement with each suctioncup 36e, each valve body 36d at this time being in its raised positionwithin the valve body 36a.

Coordinated to the functioning of a collating machine 10 as justdescribed, is the glueing attachment 12 of the present invention whichis effective to cause a small quantity or spot of glue, of anappropriate adhesive character, to be deposited along an edge of apicked sheet 22 and in this manner maintain the collated arrangement ofa typical arrangement 22a of sheets which are deposited on the conveyor14. The glueing attachments 12 are provided at each of the operatingstations 24a, 24b, etc. but not at the operating station 24c adjacentthe discharge point 14a. Each such attachment is identically constructedand includes a pair of glue depositing devices 52 spaced apart from eachother and located between the spaced apart pick-up devices 36. Eachpickup device 52, in a preferred embodiment as illustrated herein,includes a tubular body 54 having a connection at one end to a hose 56which is connected, in turn, to a suitable glue-reservoir or storagecontainer 58. The container 58 is appropriately supported in an elevatedposition on a bracket 59 which may be bolted, as at 60, to one of thesupport arms of one of the devices 52 for gravity flow of the gluetherefrom. At the lower or free end of the tubular body 54, and as isbest shown in FIG. 4, there is a closure element 62 which is threadablyengageable, as at 64 to the tubular body 54 and has a valve seat 66 inthe end wall thereof which, in practice, is disposed in facing relationto the stack of sheets S at each of the operating stations 24a, 24b. Avalve 68, in the form of a ball, normally seats in the valve seat 66under the urgency of a valve spring 70, this spring urgency being of alow magnitude which is easily overcome by the vacuum urging a topmostsheet 22 through the previously described lift movement L against thevalve 68. More particularly, a topmost sheet 22 as a result of the liftmovement L comes into engagement with the spaced apart suction cups 362and is effective to make contact with the lower extending portion ofeach of the valve balls 68. In so doing, the sheet 22 displaces eachvalve ball 68 inwardly of the closure element 62 to thereby open up thevalve opening bounded by the valve seat 66. When this occurs, acontrolled amount of glue passes through the valve seat opening 66 andis deposited on the topmost sheet 22. This deposit of glue is effectiveto maintain the collated arrangement of the sheets 22 and is a vastimprovement over staples or other mechanical means heretofore used toachieve this result.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the deposit of glue upon eachtopmost sheet 22 which is effectively made by each of theglue-depositing devices 52 is accomplished at a time when the topmostsheet 22 has already been lifted from the stack S. Accordingly, thisdeposit of glue cannot seep through the body of the topmost sheet andinadvertently cause attachment of adjacent sheets of the stack S whichare below the topmost sheet 22, or in any other way adversely effect theability of the pick-up devices 36 to lift only one sheet from the stackS as is required in the operation of the collating machine 10.

Further in accordance with the present invention, each glue-depositingdevice 52 is supported from the vacuum tube 26 in support structurewhich does not restrict in any manner the specific location of theterminal ends of each of the tubular bodies 54. It will be appreciatedthat the location of these glue-depositing ends or, more particularly,each ball valve 68 relative to the edge of the paper which is beingpicked by the pick-up devices 36 is the factor which determines theprecise location on the picked up sheet where the glue deposits will bemade. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, each tubular body 54 isengaged in a suitable clamp 72 which includes a rod extension 74terminating in a ball '76 which is accommodated in an appropriatespherical socket between two halves 78a and 78b in the supporting arm 78which mounts each glue-depositing device 52. As in the case of thesupporting arm for the pick-up device 36, each supporting arm 78 hasappropriate bearing surfaces 80 in actual engagement with the vacuumtube 26 so that rotative movement is possible therebetween to fix anydesired position in the supporting arm 78 relative to the vacuum tube26. Thus, by appropriately moving the supporting arm 78 in rotationabout the vacuum tube 26 and also axially along the longitudinal axis ofthe tube, and also by moving the tubular body 54 in the degrees ofmovement afforded by the universal mounting of the clamp 72 in thesupporting arm 78, it is possible to provide any desired position to theball valve 68 relative to the sheet of paper which is to be picked up sothat the deposit of glue is made in any location desired on this sheet.As is best shown in FIG. 2, in order to insure that the ball valve 68will be displaced from the valve seat 66 at the end of the lift movementL of a sheet 22, each of the ball valves as is shown in FIG. 2 shouldextend Slightly below the suction caps 36c of the pick-up device 36 inthe telescoped or lifted position of the valve bodies 36d within to thefixture 36a. Thus, a picked up sheet 22 which is extended between thetwo suction caps 36:: in a fairly taut condition can not fail to exertan inward pressure against the ball valve 68 thereby opening up thevalve opening 66 and permitting a controlled quantity of glue to bedeposited on the sheet 22.

Any one of several types of commercially available glues may beeifectively used in the glue attachment 12 of the present invention. Theglue that is used should flow readily, should not be too tacky andshould have a retarding drying agent therein such that the adhesiveattachment is not completed until after about one and a half hours. Thisretarded drying of the glue will permit the collated sheet arrangement22a to be adjusted, as is usually the case, at the machine dischargepoint 14a so that all the sheets are in proper alignment with each otherbefore the glue actually takes effect and maintains the collatedarrangement of the sheets. One such commercially available adhesivewhich has performed satisfactorily with the glueing attachment 12 of thepresent invention is an adhesive designated 28-252 and available fromAmerican Adhesive Manufacturing Co., Inc. of Brooklyn, NY.

A further noteworthy feature in the functioning of the glueingattachment 12 hereof resides in the fact that during the transfer of apicked-up sheet from above a stack of sheets S to a location above theconveyor 14 and preparatory to being deposited thereon, the transportedsheet 22 displaces the ball valve 68 as it must to permit controlledflow of glue therefrom, and also during this time the sheet itselffunctions as a closure for the valve opening 66 so that the non-viscousglue does not flow onto the equipment or in any other way produce anyadverse conditions. Thus the glueing attachment 12 hereof coordinatesefficiently with the normal functioning of a collating machine inproviding deposits of glue as a replacement for staples and othermechanical means for maintaining the collated arrangement of sheetarrangements 22a which are deposited on the machine conveyor 14, andfurther does not in any way adversely detract from the normalfunctioning of the machine.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in theforegoing disclosure and in some instances some features of theinvention will be employed without a corresponding use of otherfeatures. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims beconstrued broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scopeof the invention herein.

What is claimed is:

1. A glueing attachment for 1a collating machine of the type having aconveyor, means located adjacent said conveyor defining plural stationsfor storing stacks of sheets adapted to be placed on said conveyor in acollated arrangement and sheet-transfer means at each said station fortransferring individual sheets from said stacks to said conveyorincluding a pair of spaced picking fingers operatively connected to avacuum and effective to draw the topmost sheet of a stack through aprescribed lift movement against said picking fingers in response to theapplication of said vacuum through said picking fingers, said glueingattachment being operatively associated with at least some of saidsheet-transfer means and comprising glue-applying means located adjacentto said spaced picking fingers and having an exit opening thereinoperatively arranged in facing relation to said topmost sheet of saidstacks and flow-control means in said exit opening effective to beactuated by contact of said sheet during said prescribed lift movementthereof into an operative position permitting a controlled flow of gluefrom said exit opening onto said sheet for maintaining the collatedarrangement of said sheets which are transferred to said conveyor.

2. A glueing attachment as defined in claim 1 wherein said flow-controlmeans extends a prescribed extent beyond said picking fingers in thedirection of said topmost sheet to insure that during said prescribedlift movement of said sheet against said picking fingers that contact ismade by said sheet against said flow-control means.

3. A glueing attachment as defined in claim 2 wherein said glue-applyingmeans has at least two exit openings therein, each said exit openingbeing located adjacent a picking finger and of an extent which incooperation with said flow-control means results in a comparativelysmall spot of glue being deposited at locations on said sheet makingcontact with said exit openings.

4. A glueing attachment as defined in claim 2 wherein there are at leasttwo separate glue-applying means and said sheet-transfer means includesa support and rotatable mounting means thereon for said picking fingersand for each said glue-applying means such that by adjusting theorientation of said picking fingers and said glue-applying means theflow-control means of each said glue-applying means can be set in anyadjusted position extending beyond said picking fingers.

5. A glueing attachment for 'a collating machine of the type having aconveyor, means located adjacent said conveyor defining plural stationsfor storing stacks of sheets adapted to be placed on said conveyor in acollated arrangement and sheet-transfer means at each said station fortransferring individual sheets from said stacks to said conveyorincluding a support, a pair of spaced picking fingers mounted on saidsupport operatively connected to a vacuum and effective to draw thetopmost sheet of a stack through a prescribed lift movement against saidpicking fingers in response to the application of said vacuum throughsaid picking fingers, said glueing attachment being operativelyassociated with at least some of said sheet-transfer means andcomprising at least two glue-applying means each having a valve openingtherein operatively arranged in facing relation to said topmost sheet ofsaid stacks, rotatable mounting means for each said glue-applying meansfor mounting each on said support in a location between said pickingfingers and in a predetermined angular orientation relative to saidpicking fingers and valve means operatively disposed in said valveopenings and effective to be actuated by contact of said sheet duringsaid prescribed lift movement thereof into an operative position openingsaid valve openings to permit a controlled flow of glue therefrom ontosaid sheet, said predetermined angular orientation of said glue-applyingmeans being such as to position the valves thereof a predeterminedextent beyond said picking fingers in the direction of the sheets toinsure that during said prescribed lift movement said valves areactuated into their said operative positions.

6. A glueing attachment as defined in claim 5 wherein 7 8 said valveopenings are of an extent which in cooperation References Cited withsaid valves result in a comparatively small spot of UNITED STATESPATENTS glue being deposited at locations on said sheet making contact:with said valve openings. 2722414 11/1955 Smlth 7. A glueing attachmentas defined in claim 6 wherein 5 3905565 10/1961 Deane at 156-571 saidvalves are balls and including springs for normally p biasing said ballsinto a seated position within said valve EUGENE CAPOZIO Pnmary Exammer'openings. P. WILLIAMS, Assistant Examiner.

1. A GLUEING ATTACHMENT FOR A COLLATING MACHINE OF THE TYPE HAVING A CONVEYOR, MEANS LOCATED ADJACENT SAID CONVEYOR DEFINING PLURAL STATIONS FOR STORING STACKS OF SHEETS ADAPTED TO BE PLACED ON SAID CONVEYOR IN A COLLATED ARRANGEMENT AND SHEET-TRANSFER MEANS AT EACH SAID STATION FOR TRANSFERRING INDIVIDUAL SHEETS FROM SAID STACKS TO SAID CONVEYOR INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED PICKING FINGERS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO A VACUUM AND EFFECTIVE TO DRAW THE TOPMOST SHEET OF A STACK THROUGH A PRESCRIBED LIFT MOVEMENT AGAINST SAID PICKING FINGERS IN RESPONSE TO THE APPLICATION OF SAID VACUUM THROUGH SAID PICKING FINGERS, SAID GLUEING ATTACHMENT BEING OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH AT LEAST SOME OF SAID SHEET-TRANSFER MEANS AND COMPRISING GLUE-APPLYING MEANS LOCATED ADJACENT TO SAID SPACED PICKING FINGERS AND HAVING AN EXIT OPENING THEREIN OPERATIVELY ARRANGED IN FACING RELATION TO SAID TOPMOST SHEET OF SAID STACKS AND FLOW-CONTROL MEANS IN SAID EXIT OPENING EFFECTIVE TO BE ACTUATED BY CONTACT OF SAID SHEET DURING SAID PRESCRIBED LIFT MOVEMENT THEREOF INTO AN OPERATIVE POSITION PERMITTING A CONTROLLED FLOW OF GLUE FROM SAID EXIT OPENING ONTO SAID SHEET FOR MAINTAINING THE COLLATED ARRANGEMENT OF SAID SHEETS WHICH ARE TRANSFERRED TO SAID CONVEYOR. 